


Insomnia

by burrfication



Series: 2020 [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: 2020-verse, Fluff, M/M, Married Life, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 08:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14712329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burrfication/pseuds/burrfication
Summary: After three years of marriage, Alexander knows his husband better than anyone. When Aaron's work starts to eat away at his mental health and cause insomnia, Alexander does what he can to convince his husband to sleep.





	Insomnia

It’s not that Alexander didn’t think Aaron’s work was important. He did. He knew exactly how important Aaron’s work was, and it was that and that alone that had him keep his tongue for so long. But he also knew how to tell when Aaron was fraying at the edges. He hid it well, but after three years of married life, there was very little the two of them could hide from each other. Aaron could read Alexander like a book; but he often forgot that went both ways.

At first, Alexander pretended he had noticed nothing. Aaron could be prickly when he thought Alexander was worrying about him, and with any luck it would pass. But as time grew by, Alexander grew more and more worried. Aaron worked longer and longer hours each day. When he did spend time with his family, Alexander could see the dark circles under his eyes and an awful rigidity behind his smile. Instead of leaving his home office picture perfect every night, Aaron would leave his notepad open and pens scattered over the table. That sight alarmed Alexander enough that he took to tidying it whenever he could, returning it to the meticulous standard he knew Aaron preferred: pens in their cup, books filed, with a clean glass sitting beside the pot plant, ready for the next day. His own work space may be chaos, but Alexander ensured Aaron's was perfect.

Night was the worst of all. Of the two of them, Alexander was usually the insomniac. He was used to lying awake while Aaron slumbered beside him. His long hours of insomnia had taught him all the sounds Aaron made in his sleep, from the endearing (like the little grunt he made if Alexander poked him in the ribs) to the disgusting. He had learnt to expect them. When they disappeared, Alexander knew it could only be because Aaron was not asleep. He lay stiff and still and silent in the darkness. Even when Alexander made it plain he was awake, Aaron did not respond. Alexander took the hint and pretended he had been fooled by the stifling silence of their room. It was disconcerting to drift off to sleep without the sound of Aaron’s sleep-even breath. He managed it, but he was not surprised to wake up just a couple of hours later.

What did surprise him was the light.

Aaron had turned the light on in the bedroom, and he had his laptop propped up on his knees. A frown settled over Alexander’s lips. He watched Aaron without moving from his position, curled around him in a crescent moon shape. The stillness was unusual for Alexander even in bed, but Alexander needed time to pull his mind up from the depths of sleep. After a few minutes, he decided enough was enough. The cotton of Aaron’s pyjamas had slipped at some point through the night, leaving a thin strip of skin bare. The patch was nearly level with Alexander’s face, so he gave into impulse and kissed it. There was a pause in the sound of the keyboard tapping above him. Alexander hid a smile. That was a good start, so he trailed a series of soft kisses until Aaron’s pyjamas got in the way. When he was done, he looked up at Aaron through his eyelashes.

“Go back to sleep,” Aaron told him. His fingers stroked through Alexander’s hair, and Alexander all but purred. There was nothing quite as soothing as the feel of Aaron playing with his hair. His eyes slid shut. Aaron’s fingers combed through his hair a few more times before the contact disappeared. Alexander let out a disappointed sigh, but he did not push the issue. Aaron needed sleep as much as he did: of course it could not go on forever.

Then the sound of Aaron’s fingers tapping away on the keyboard started up again. Alexander tensed. When the sound continued unabated, he grit his teeth. This was clearly going to take more effort than he had planned. He pushed himself up with both arms and stared at Aaron with as much intention as his sleepy mind could muster. When that got no reaction, he leaned in and trailed kisses along Aaron’s jaw. He heard Aaron let out a huff.

“Alexander, please, I’m trying to wo-”

Alexander did not let him finish his sentence. He kissed him, again and again, until Aaron’s firm and unyielding mouth finally reciprocated. Alexander bit back a grin. There was a reason he loved success. He took advantage of Aaron’s parted lips to slide his tongue into Aaron’s mouth. At the same time, he groped blindly with one hand until he found Aaron’s laptop. As soon as he found it, he shut the lid and pushed it away. He felt Aaron draw back to protest, but before he could, Alexander straddled his lap where the computer had been and kissed him again. It was only when he felt Aaron relax beneath him that he pulled back with a grin.

“I win.”

“You’re a menace,” Aaron told him. His eyes were hooded and dark, but Alexander knew the expression was not pure lust. He knew Aaron better than that. Now that Alexander had removed the urgency of his work, exhaustion would be catching up with him any minute now. Entirely unrepentant, Alexander pressed a playful kiss to Aaron’s nose.

“I’m also declaring myself in charge. And since I’m in charge, you’re going to sleep.”

Aaron’s expression closed off. “Alexander - “

“No buts. Sleep.” When he saw hesitation in Aaron’s expression, Alexander pushed harder. “Aaron, baby, listen to me. You’ve got me, a certified wreck, telling you to take a break and get some rest. You’re so far beyond the realm of reasonable it’s laughable. Stop working and go the fuck to sleep.”

Silence stretched out between them. Aaron refused to meet Alexander’s eyes, and anxiety started to claw in Alexander’s gut. Had he gone too far? But then -

“I can’t,” Aaron said. The words were soft, almost ashamed. “I can’t sleep.”

Alexander’s expression softened. He knew that feeling all too well. “That’s because you’re too stressed. C’mon. Back rub time.”

The bewildered look Aaron gave him was not entirely unwarranted. It was an abrupt decision on Alexander’s part, but he stuck to it as he climbed off Aaron’s lap and patted the bed.

“I mean it. This isn’t even a foreplay massage, this is a get-you-to-relax massage. So go on.”

He gestured at the bed. When Aaron finally responded, his movements were slow and uncertain. Alexander bit back his impatient comments and waited. He made an encouraging noise when Aaron pulled his shirt off. When that made Aaron duck his head he let out a wolf-whistle. He may not have been trying to sleep with him at that very moment, but there was no harm in reminding Aaron how attractive he was. As soon as Aaron’s back was stretched out before him, Alexander straddled his rear and got to work.

“Leering aside, I meant what I said,” Alexander told him.”No sex until you’ve had some rest.”

He ignored the snort of laughter that earned him. There was a crass comment on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back. The last thing Alexander wanted to do right now was discourage Aaron from relaxing enough to laugh - even if he was the butt of the joke. Instead, Alexander focused his energy on the massage. He worked his way along the length of Aaron’s spine, and then back up and over his shoulders. He did not stop when Aaron’s eyes drifted shut. Nor did he stop when he felt Aaron’s breathing shift into the deep, regular rhythm of sleep. It was only when he heard a telltale snore that he let himself lie down beside Aaron. A snap of his fingers turned the lights out.

Alexander allowed himself a moment to appreciate the normalcy of the night. The room was dark, the bed was warm, and he had Aaron snoring beside him. With everything as it should be, Alexander fell asleep with a smile on his face.


End file.
